A Summit of Great Talents!

But let us return to what brought the artists on this winter trip: the Ilmari Hannikainen Piano Chamber Music Competition. All week long, the audience was treated to magnificent musical performances and inspired musicians. Nearly 60 ensembles applied and after a careful selection, 23 of them arrived in the city, which was ready to welcome what the organizers referred to as a “summit of great talents”.

At first what strikes you most of all is this swarm of young people, busy, enthusiastic, proudly wearing the black Staff t-shirt. They are students of the media and music departments of Gradia Consortium, at both Humak and Jamk University of Applied Sciences, and of the University of Jyväskylä. They come and go like bees in a hive, discreet, serious and disciplined. They are there to guide and assist jurors and candidates, to film the participants during their performances, and to ensure the streaming (8 cameras were set up in the concert hall). Everything is organized for the musicians' comfort: rehearsal rooms, excellent pianos, hot finnish salmon soup, interviews, and the utmost attention is paid to their needs. 

And in the concert hall of Music Campus, the first notes resound. This competition, that takes place every three years, is unique in that it focuses on three different chamber music ensembles all together: piano duo, piano trio with violin and cello, and piano duo with violin. 

After a classical First round, with Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, 12 ensembles took part in the Second round. At this point they were able to choose their own programme, except for the commissioned work: three different pieces, one for each ensemble, were commissioned from three different Finnish composers: War Nocturne, by Matei Gheorghiu, for Piano Trio; Phantomtone, by Sauli Zinovjev, for Piano Duo; and Elements, by Cecila Damström, for Piano and Violin. All of them are deep and moving compositions with topics such as war times or our relation to the environment. Each ensemble was able to bring out a particular and different accent in its interpretation, telling its own unique story. The musicians navigated between styles, took more risks, and created new visions. Their individual personalities and those of their ensemble stood out, their tastes were revealed, and we could guess at their young history, which is passionate, determined, and also touching, full of tenderness. Their interpretation at the same time revealed musical maturity and uncompromising thinking.

The Jury, led by Paavali Jumppanen, chose the six finalists: their elegance in playing, their sincerity, their joy and intensity made the difference. 

The Sinfonia Jyväskylä was conducted by Jaan Ots, a young and talented Estonian conductor. A pianist himself, he led the orchestra with particular sensitivity.

The participants were thrilled by this opportunity: it is very rare for chamber ensembles to be able to perform with an orchestra. All of them emphasized the demanding nature of the exercise, but also the kindness of the conductor and the musicians in the orchestra, which allowed them to draw on the resources they needed to deliver the most sincere music and the most personal expression.

Three of the six ensembles in the Final round have distinguished themselves:

The piano-violin Duo Jiayi-April delivered a strong and very precise Mendelssohn Concerto; they were in perfect harmony, and their music became a single, unified vibration.

Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos showcased all the musical elegance of the Inara Duo, combined with a spirited and magnificent performance: everything about them was joy, their music, their smiles, their undeniable complicity. 

The award for excellence, however, went to the Rilian Trio, who could demonstrate wonderful harmony, the instruments seemed to blend into one another. Both the jury and the audience were spot on. Their dedication, their raw musicality, and their joy in playing together were so infectious that the orchestra found itself getting carried away as well, lost in the moment during Beethoven’s C Major Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano. 

After a short deliberation, the Jury awarded First Prize to the Rilian Trio, winners also of the 2023 edition of the Trondheim Chamber Music Competition in Norway. Second Prize went to the Duo Jiayi-April and Third Prize was given to the piano Duo Inara.

The Rilian Trio, with Daniel Dastoor, violin, David Liam Roberts, cello and Godwin Friesen, piano, have joined forces at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto and are now collaborating with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, where they are Associate Artists in Residence. 

Duo Jiayi-April - Jiayi Chen, violin and April Siyue Zhang, piano, was formed in 2019. They perform regularly across China and on European stages. 

Piano Duo Inara consists of Ina Krajnc and Klara Luznik, who graduated from the Conservatory for Music and Ballet Maribor. Since 2020 they have continued their musical studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. 

Awards
First Prize: Trio Rilian
Second Prize: Duo Jiayi-April
Third Prize: Duo Inara

Jury 
Paavali Jumppanen (chair), Mindaugas Backus, Johan Fröst, Marianna Shirinyan, Cecilia Zilliacus

Artists
Jyväskylä Sinfonia, / Jaan Ots (Conductor)
Cecila Damström, Matei Gheorghiu, Sauli Zinovjev (Composers)

March 2026/SB